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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

There is no God but Darwin, and Dawkins is his prophet

Since the publication of my book Dawkins’ God in 2004, I am regularly asked to speak on its themes throughout the world. In these lectures, I set out Dawkins’s views on religion and then give an evidence-based rebuttal, point by point.

After one such lecture, I was confronted by a very angry young man. The lecture had not been particularly remarkable. I had simply demonstrated, by rigorous use of scientific, historical and philosophical arguments, that Dawkins’s intellectual case against God didn’t stand up to critical examination.

But this man was angry—in fact, I would say he was furious. Why? Because, he told me, wagging his finger agitatedly at me, I had “destroyed his faith.”

His atheism rested on the authority of Richard Dawkins, and I had totally undermined his faith. He would have to go away and rethink everything. How dare I do such a thing?

Alister McGrath, The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine (IVP 2007), 18.

3 comments:

I would say that Chance is the god of atheism (based on the number of times atheists appeal to it). Darwin was nothing but a prophet, but his teachings were corrupted and now many Darwinians worship him. But finally Chance sent Dawkins to restore true worship and to show that Darwin was just a prophet. Darwin, then, is the Messiah of atheism. Dawkins is its last and greatest prophet.

It is not really important to refute Dawkins or Darwin. Finding flaws or logical inconsistencies in their arguments does nothing to advance your own cause. You still have to present reasonable evidence that supports the existence of the physics defying being described in the Bible.

Imagine that I was arguing against the mysterious powers of the Bermuda Triangle. You could point out that I was using poor data to make my case. Regardless, since the so-called mysterious powers of the Bermuda Triangle are a clear violation of all the know laws of physics, it would be up to you to make the case for these mysterious powers.